Beauty in precision

By Rupa Srikanth
The Hindu, Music Season, Tuesday, Jan 10, 2006
http://www.hindu.com/ms/2006/01/10/stories/2006011000210600.htm

Conceived and choreographed by the Dhananjayans in 1998 with the assistance of Padmarani Rasiah Cantu and their students from Fine Arts Society, Yogaville, Virginia, "Satyam Sivam Sundaram" is inspired by the teachings of Swami Sachidananda that found expression in a combination of the abstract and the narrative.

Without much to bind the ideals of truth, god and beauty that the choreographers desired to convey, it was a tenuous thread that held the production together. The Dhananjayans' movement choreography was straightforward, even simplistic, with straight lines and expansive movements, but there was beauty in precision. Dramatic lighting, artistic space and group configurations added to this picturesque landscape featuring the pure physicality of dance.

Drenched in a pool of orange light, the symbolism of the lotus was stretched to its creative limit in the homage to the Lotus Temple. As the dancers wove around the hub, the flower opened out in full bloom capturing the imagination of the packed auditorium already caught in the torrent of a melodious Abheri. But somewhere along the way, the impact of such stunning choreography lost its hold. The musical score of the prologue to Bharatiar's "Maatha Paraasakti" was cleverly arranged, the names of the five elements used as syllables clipped onto a melodious strain of Shanmukhapriya. Barring that interlude, the loose threads seemed quite conspicuous. The inclusion of folk tales within a narrative about King Dharmika was then the proverbial last straw.

Finally, it was the total involvement of the musicians and the dancers that saved the day. Dressed in stark but striking costumes designed by Shantha, the troupe comprised: Padmarani, Anuradha Murali, Madhulika Nataraja, Srutiranjani Nataraja, Niharika Mettu, Praneetha Akula, Meera V. Popat, Palavi Gopal, Shubha Chakraborty, Dhriti Sooryakumar, Anitha Seth, Mallika Murali and Kannan Rasiah.

The skilled orchestra, led by Shantha, had Sasidaran doing the nattuvangam K.P. Ramesh Babu (vocal), Sourirajan (percussion), Kalaiarasan (violin), Sunilkumar (flute) and Bhavani Prasad (veena). The score was written by Prof. Muthukannappan and set to music by Sasidaran and Kalaiarasan under the direction of V. P. Dhananjayan.